Marine vessel.



No. 841,961.' l ,PATENT-ED.. JAN.: 2z, 1907'.

' J4?, GRAY.-

MARIN? VESSEL.. A PP-LIOATIONHLSD 111511.27, 1906.

3 SHEETS- SHEET l.

PATENTED- JAN. 22, 1907.

J. EEGEAY. MARINE VESSEL APPLIOATIO FILED .MARLZ'L 1906.

's SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/TNESSES.-

f.1oH-i\' if. naiv., or ,eoirrsiioUT-H. NEW-.Ii-Aiiiisiiiiia; Y*

MARINE f Speciiicato of Letters Patient.

. Pateiited Jan. 2, 1907.

Apulicatioii filed March 27,1906 Serial No.. 308,233..

'Beitknownthat l. ,loiiv l".tn.\v. a citizen ligUliited States. and a resident of PortslIO' j l'ilouthLin the county of ltockingbam and State of New llampshire, have invented a newalid useful lmprovenuaatl in )larinc \'cssels, of which the following isla full. clear, and Xact description.

'llheiuvcntion relates to an improvement -in marine vessels and in life-boats for attachitieiittliclclto.

` Primarily. my invention resides in certain novel features which enable me to utilize a completely-inclosed.life-boat and to connect the samewth the larger vessel insnch a man ner that a person may` ,enter or leave the lifeboatl without opening it either to tlte outer air or tothe water should the life-boat and' la1'ger Vvessel be submerged or partly submerged. This enables me to provide a lifeboa-t completely inclosed. and which may be,

if desired, operated as a submarine and to allow persons to enter the life-boat even after the. .wreckage of the larger vessel without in any way. opening the life-boat vto the surroun- Wing air or water, as the case may be," after which the life-boat may be sealed and disconnected from the larger vessel, the life-boat beine' itted with propelling means and such ot ieretpiipment as 'will render it self-sustaining.

",fllh'e inveilition involves various other feaftures of major lor minor importance, all of vhich will be fully set forth hereinafter and i )articula-ily pointed out in the claims.

.Reference 1s to be had to the accom pany- .ing drawings, which illustrate, as an example,

one of the various ways in which my invenl tion may be practically embodied, in which--' Figure. 1 is a view with parts in section on the line 1 -1 of Fig; ipshowing a. typical sub marine boat provided at each side 'with one otl my life-boats' and illustrating in outline the peculiar devices which I employ for. facilitating comnumication between the two boats even-during their submcrsion. Fig, '.is a side elevation. on a small scale. .showing a submarine boat; and illustrating tlu-\-'inaniter of housing the life-boat in a pocket in the side thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged .sectional view showing double-mauhole covers` and the devices l'or fastening them in place` Fig. t isa Section on.approximately the line lyl of l"ig. 3, .showing the .same parts and also illustrating the screws for fastening the life-boat in place and for pushing the l1fe.-boat outward when it is to be launched.` Fig. 5 is an elevational view showing the innerside of the larger vessel and illustrating the manhole-cover thereof: and Fig. ti is an elevational view of the outer side of the life-boat showing they maiihole-cover therefor and also showingthe gasket toi' etlecting water-t1ght connection between the life-boat and largervessel when the life-boatis-housed. 1

The-invention is applicable to marine vessels of all types, cit-her surface-going ships or submarines, ln the dra-wings it isillustrated as applied to a submarine. 1t ma-y however, be applied to a ship of the usual type without. in any way departing from the conventional features of the invention.

'lhe life-boat lt) is preferably completely inclosed, and it may be. and preferably is, iitted with the usual submarine appliances` including a motor of the coinpressed-air type, which is illustrated conventionally atll.

The life-boat is also provided with a. niain' keel l2, a bilge-keel 14, and 'two -tlanges 15, which servent-)t only as lbilge-keels, but also for engagement with the sides of the larger vessel 16 when the life-boat is housed, as shown in F ig. l. The larger vessel is provided with a pocket 17 for each lifeboat, as shown in Fig. 1. T he submarine boat is provided with a pockety in each side, adapting it to carry the two vlife-boatsy illust rated. '["hese pockets are seinic-ircular in cross-sectioinil form, so that the life-boatsninay be placed therein with the tlanges l5 engaging the outer side of the lvessel at the edges of the pockets these llanges Lserving to limit the inward movement of the life-boat and also to prevent water from washing in between the life-boat and the walls ofthe pockets 1T.

rl`he tmnstructio'n of the life-boat is`not material. 'lt is preferably of the conventional cigar shape and may be made of metal or,of metal and wood combined. as "de sired. Neither is the equipment of the life-boat inaterial. ft'inav be provided with any desired meansof-propulsion and anyintcrior arrangement. f

l provide means allowing free communication between the interiors of the vessel lt and the boat lt) without at any time opening either the vessel or tht` boatao the snr-` rounding water` thus allowing the lite-boat IOP to be manned and launched from the larger boat while both are completely submerged.,l These devices are shown best in Figs. 3 to 6. As shown in Fig. 3, the life-boat is pro- 5 vided with a manhole or hatch surrounded \by. a coaming 18, and the hatch or manhole is provided with a cover 19, which is hinged outside of the life-boat, as-'at 20, and provided with a yoke 21, engaging the inner 1o side of the life-boat and connected by a i screw 22 and wheel" 23 with the cover 19, by which means the cover may be clamped down iirmly on the coaming, effecting, with the assistance of a gasket 24, of lrubber or other material, an absolutely hermetic joint. The vessel is provided within the pocket 17 with a coaming 25, which surrounds the manhole or hatch in the walls of the pocket, which manhole or hatch is also provided with 2o a coan1ing26. The coaming 25 projects out- Ward and the coaming 26 inward, and preferably they are both formed of an integral metal plate which is riveted or otherwise fastened to the shell of the vessel. The co aniing 25. is adapted to engage a gasket 27, which is secured, as shown best in Fig. 6, to the outer side of the life-boat surrounding the cover 19. Coacting with the coaming 26 is a cover 28,' which 1s located within the 3o larger vessel 16 and is hinged,. as at 29. Said cover is provided with a gasket 30, effecting a hermetic joint between the cover and coaming, and is adapted to be held in place b v a strong-back 31. This has a shank 32, which is arranged to turn in a box 33, fastened to the inner side of the shell of the larger vessel, so that the strong-back may swing freely from the position, shown'in Figs.

3 and 5 to a sidewise position in which the 4o cover 28 will be disengaged from the strongback. Said cover is provided on its inner surface with a wedge-shaped or inclined bead 34, and 35 indicates a screw adjustable in the free end of the strong-back and adapted to engage the bead. The outer end of the shank 32 of the strong-back is suitably packed against the outer side of the vessel and is formed with a socket 36, which is adapted to receive the angular `end of a 5o screw 37. This operates in the walls of the life-boat 10 and has a hand-wheel 38 attached thereto within the vessel, so that the strong-back may bemoved in and out ofoperative position from within the life-boat.

39 indicates screws which are fitted to important.

- the same as the cover 28, may

I position by means of the screw 37. l willqbe seen, seals both of the manholes and 'the door 28. The

turn in bearings 40, secured to the walls of the life-boat 10 vsaid screws. having at their j inner end hand-wheels 41, lfacilitating their operation. The screws project outward be j 6o yond the life-boat and are adapted to be received in internal socket-pieces 42, secured in the walls of the larger.v boat or vessel 16. These screws 39 and their coacting parts serve, therefore, the double function of drawing up the life-boat into position with l g 25, engaged with tlre basket 27, and when the life-boat is toLLbelaunched tilting it back or outward, so thatfit may roll from the position shown'in Fig. `1 outward into thesea.

the coaming In the use of the invention in order toenter and launch the life-boat the strongback 31 should be swung sidewise into'inactive position and the cover 28 raised, as lindicated by the broken lines inFig. 1.l Said cover may be heldin this raised position by A any desired device, this not being deemed Fig. 1 illustrates a hook 43 for this purpose. yoke 21 should be turned a quarter of a revolution, so that it will lie lengthwise in the opening or hatch in the life-boat 10, and the cover 19- may then be lifted, as is also shown by the broken lines in Fig. 1. This cover 1.9, be held raised by any desired device, a )convenient means consisting in a hook, (indicated at.44 in Fig. 1.) A passage is thus freely opened between the two vessels or boats, permitting the lifeboat to be loaded and adjusted, as desired.

To launch the boat, the hatch or manhole covers should be returned, the cover 19 se? cured by the yoke 21 and screw 22 and the strong-back 31 being turned back into active This, 1t

renders communication between the two boats, as well as communlcatlon from either boat, impossible. The screws 39' should then be operated to force themselves4 out of tie socket members 42, thus tilting the lifeboat from the poised position (shown in Fig. 1) outward and launching it into the sea.

In returning the life-boat to its housed position thescrews 39 should be rengaged inthe socket members 42 and the life-boat drawn up to engage the coaming 25 `firmly with the gasket 27. As the parts take this position the screw 37 will enter the socket 36 in the shank of the strong-back, and the strong-back may then be operated to release yoke 31 may be turned sidewise, so as to allow the door 19 to` be opened, and then the two doors or covers may be thrown open, as before, the life-boat bein held firmly Iin place by the bolts 38, whic serve also to secure the engagement between the' coaming 25 and gasket 27, thus preventing leakage over either of the hatches or manholes described.

Having thus described the preferred form of my invention, what I actually claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A vessel having a pocket in the side thereof, an inclined life-boat adapted to be nested in the pocket, the vessel and life-boat having registering ports or manholes, and

"means for closing said. manholes, said means This having been done, the

lOO

IIO

comprising hinged doors, devices for removably 'holding the doors closed and means operable Within thevessel or lifeboat for holdingthe vessel-port cover in place'.

A 2., Afvessel having' a'pot therein, an in` .closed life-boat adapted to engage the-vessel and vhaving a port registeringwith 'ay port` in the vessel, a cover for the port in the .lifeboat,'means operative' from the interior of4 thejlifefboat for clamping thejoovel inclos'edposition, a Cover for' the porti in the vessel,

V and means operativefrom vWit-hin'hoth the "vessel 'and life-boat for holding theseoondf named cover in' closed position.

3.- A vessel having a port therein, aninclosed life-boat adapted-to engage the vessel cover inV closed position, thelast-knamec'l mea-ns `Comprising a vswivel `strong-'baok 'adapted te engage the innerside the 'secfond-named cover, and an operating deviceK j therefor located within the lifeboats n 4.- A marine vessel 'having a port therein,

.an inolosed life-boat adapted ,to engage the vessel andhaving a port r'egistering'wit-h the ort 1n the vessel, a eoannng loc-ated between the life-boat, and vessel and surrounding the eel 3 said ports, a cover 'for each port and means o arable Within the life-boator vessel for e osing 'the cover of the vessel-port.

5. A marine vessel having a port therein, a-fcover for the port, a swivel strong-baello `Gated Within the vessel'and adapted to engage the cover, the strong-back having a shank lprojecting.; outside of the vessel, an inclo'sed life-boat, having a port therein adapted to register with the port in the vessel, a cover for thev port in the life-boat, .means for locking the cover in closed position, and. an operating device extending through the shell of the life-boat and adapted i to engage the said shank of the strong-back. i 6.' A marine vessel having a pocket in the vsidev thereof, said pocket being substantially semieireular in cross-section, vand a lifeboat .lying partially Within-the pocket, 'said lifeboat having i'anges on the sides thereof for `engggeging' -the outer side ofv the' vessel at-the edges of the, pocket, and means for forming a communication between'the vessel and the life-boat.

'ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specific-ationin the presence .of two subscribing Witnesses.

. JOHN F, GRAY. '/Yitnesses: l

: EMILY STOREns,

` 'JoHNj BARTLETT, 

